Royals, whether major or minor, are a good peg to hang a story on and with all the controversy about Prince Harry you would think the British government had just discovered that there was 'racism in the ranks'.

However, the truth is that the British Army has been institutionally racist for many years and indeed the issue of racism in the military permeates all the way into the Ministry of Defence.

On many occasions over the years the unequal treatment of Gurkha soldiers in relation to pay pensions and promotion has been highlighted. The decision to discriminate against Gurkha troops in this way was taken and sustained at the highest level politically by both Conservative and Labour governments and its therefore somewhat hypocritical to hear senior figures pontificating now on the latest racist scandal.

Racism in the British Army is not a new phenomena. Fifteen years ago stung by accusations of racism the Army and MOD adapted the infamous World War 1 'Your Country Needs You' Kitchener poster to feature Black and Asian Officers. The MOD said that the modern army was deploying public relations and advertising campaigns to improve its image and to boost the number of minority soldiers in its ranks.

"We are determined to provide genuine equality of opportunity for everyone irrespective of their sex, marital status.."

Meanwhile, last year David Cameron sacked a senior Tory frontbencher after he appeared to suggest that being called a "black bastard" was part of Army life. Patrick Mercer, a former colonel in the Army, said he had met "a lot" of "idle and useless" ethnic minority soldiers who used racism as a "cover".

In 2000 the army claimed a "rise in the number of black and Asian recruits joining the Army". However the reality, almost a decade on, is that numbers of enlisted men from ethnic minorities, in percentage terms, do not match the percentage in the overall population.

The campaign to combat racism in the ranks seems to have had as little success as that aimed at ending drug abuse or bullying.

Over the years the Celtic League has expressed concern about the Army as a suitable environment for young people and these latest revelations reinforce our view that bullying and bigotry are the reality that awaits under-age conscripts.

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J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League 11/01/09

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